Zhu Yaya continued crouching behind the bush, secretly peeking and enjoying the drama.
Murong Beichen's face was extremely grim, burning with rage. He pulled Xu Chun, who was sitting beside Ling Yiming, away: "Ling Yiming, I always considered you my best brother, but I never expected you to treat me like this! How dare you try to take the woman I have my eye on!"
Xu Chun hurriedly explained, "Murong Beichen, it's not what you think!"
Murong Beichen said with grief and indignation, "What's there to explain! I saw and heard everything!"
Ling Yiming touched his swollen, bruised lip and said with a bitter smile, "Beichen, I didn't want it to be this way either. But when it comes to feelings, I really can't control them! I don't want to ruin our brotherhood, but I truly can't restrain my heart!"
"Hah, nothing you say matters anymore. From now on, you are no longer my good brother, Murong Beichen's. And you, Xu Chun, don't think you can take advantage of my affection for you now to secretly flirt with other men behind my back! I offered you my sincere heart, and you trampled all over it." Murong Beichen was utterly heartbroken.
Ling Yiming flared up in anger: "How dare you say that! If you hadn't pestered Chunchun in front of so many people, she wouldn't have attracted so much gossip. If I hadn't seen that you weren't properly protecting her, I wouldn't have confessed my feelings! If you could have protected Chunchun well, I would have kept my love buried deep in my heart forever!"
"You're the one making excuses!"
"It's your fault!"
...
The two argued until they were red in the face, while Xu Chun anxiously cried out from the side, "Stop arguing, you two! Please stop!"
The two arguing men immediately turned their heads and stared intently at Xu Chun: "Tell us, who do you choose?"
The piece of watermelon Zhu Yaya was biting fell from her mouth. For some reason, she suddenly remembered a similar plot she had seen years ago, where the heroine, being fought over by two men, angrily declared, "Starting tomorrow, the three of us will date together!"
Oh dear~, would Xu Chun say the same thing? If so, the image of this love triangle was too beautiful, making the proper Zhu Yaya's imagination run wild.
Fortunately, Xu Chun herself still had some principles. She just tugged at her hair in extreme irritation, tears beginning to trace her stubborn face: "Ahhh, you're so annoying! I don't want to see either of you anymore!"
Murong Beichen and Ling Yiming, who had been arguing heatedly just moments before, instantly abandoned their dispute. Both looked at Xu Chun with pained hearts, their voices softening—
"Chun'er, I'm sorry, we won't argue anymore. Don't be sad!"
"Chunchun, it's all your Brother Ming's fault! Don't be sad, it hurts Brother Ming to see you like this!"
Zhu Yaya was dumbfounded: What a masterstroke!
Xu Chun lifted her stubborn little face and said, "Why... why do you always have to pester me? I really just want to be an ordinary middle school student." After saying this, she covered her face with her hands and ran off.
Zhu Yaya: ...This running posture is a bit too dramatic! →_→
Why cover your face while running! What if you don't see the road and crash into a tree? How much would that hurt the tree! You're supposed to be the kind-hearted heroine!
Perhaps even Heaven couldn't bear to watch anymore, because Xu Chun really did run into a tree!
Zhu Yaya: Oh my! I was just talking nonsense, it's not my fault.
Then, the howls of anguish from Murong Beichen and Ling Yiming completely echoed through the grove—
"Chun'er!!"
"Chunchun!!"
Both rushed forward. Ling Yiming was a step ahead of Murong Beichen. He tried to scoop Xu Chun up in his arms, but his strength was too little, or perhaps Xu Chun's winter clothes were too bulky. Although he managed to lift her, he staggered unsteadily as he tried to walk, causing Xu Chun's head to bump against the tree trunk again.
Zhu Yaya: Ha, haha, hahaha.
Even though Xu Chun crashing into the tree looked quite pitiful, she didn't know why she felt such schadenfreude!
Indeed, she had been corrupted by this "utterly entertaining" plot.
Murong Beichen flew into a rage: "Ling Yiming, what's wrong with you! Look! My Chun'er's head is all swollen from the impact!"
He cast a contemptuous glance at the sweat-drenched Ling Yiming, then effortlessly hoisted Xu Chun onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. However, as he swung her up, her head knocked against the tree trunk once more.
Zhu Yaya: Ha, haha, hahaha.
Xu Chun was having such a rough time!
After Murong Beichen and Ling Yiming left with Xu Chun, Zhu Yaya emerged from behind the bush. She walked up to the tree Xu Chun had collided with three times, affectionately stroking the trunk. You've had a tough time, Brother Tree!
"Congratulations on successfully completing your eleventh mission. Reward: three years of lifespan and twenty thousand RMB."
Soon, the system's voice sounded.
Zhu Yaya smiled happily. Humming a cheerful tune, she also walked out of the small grove.
However, the moment she stepped out, someone grabbed and hugged her tightly.
It was Yan Heng.
He held Zhu Yaya tightly, breathing heavily, and asked, "Where did you go?"
Zhu Yaya was a bit dazed, not fully processing yet, and stammered, "I, um, I went to take a look in the grove."
She felt the warmth of Yan Heng's breath by her ear as he spoke: "I thought you might have run into trouble again."
Zhu Yaya's heart softened. She knew Yan Heng was just overly worried about her. She patted his back comfortingly: "Relax! I just went to the grove to clear my head. Aren't I standing here safe and sound? It's fine! How did you know I was here?"
"A classmate said they saw you following Xu Chun into the grove," Yan Heng released her.
Zhu Yaya: Oh no, how careless! To think someone spotted me!
Zhu Yaya's heart leapt into her throat. She nervously swallowed and cautiously stole a glance at Yan Heng. She expected him to question why she was tailing Xu Chun, but to her surprise, Yan Heng didn't mention it at all.
Yan Heng said it was getting late and offered to walk her directly to the South District. Zhu Yaya figured she had made some progress today anyway, so she didn't insist on continuing her grand mission of following Xu Chun.
On the bus back to the South District, Zhu Yaya couldn't hold it in any longer. The walk here had left her feeling jittery. Sooner or later, the truth would come out; better to get it over with quickly.
She signaled Yan Heng to lower his head and whispered in his ear, "Brother Yan, aren't you curious why I was following Xu Chun?"
Yan Heng didn't answer immediately. He straightened up and ruffled Zhu Yaya's hair. "Tell me when you're truly ready to."
Zhu Yaya looked up, staring dazedly at Yan Heng's clean, sharp jawline. Her heart suddenly began beating very fast at this moment.
He, how can he be so good!
Yan Heng looked at her dazed expression and still couldn't resist reaching out to touch her hair again, his hand being swatted away by Zhu Yaya, whose ears were turning red.
Yan Heng chuckled softly.
He knew that Zhu Yaya carried many secrets within her—like the origin of those two hundred and forty thousand and her unusual attention toward Xu Chun. Perhaps even Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing were unaware of these secrets. Rather than pressing her for answers, he preferred that Zhu Yaya confide in him willingly. He was in no hurry; after all, in his heart, his future was already bound to hers. Thus, he could spend a lifetime waiting for her, waiting for the day she would truly open her heart to him.
